Apparatus for checking the gauge of railway tracks



March 23, 1954 L. A. J. BIENFAITETALV 2,672,694

APPARATUS FOR CHECKING THE GAUGE OF RAILWAY TRACKS Filed Jan. 8, 1952 2Sheets-Sheet 1 March 23, 1954 A. J. BIENFAIT ETAL 2, 72

APPARATUS FOR CHECKING THE GAUGE 0F RAILWAY TRACKS Filed Jan. 8, 1952 2Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig.5 29 a O I \6 2e 5 24 I i 32 25 a 17 y --4 301 a k 51 a I 0 1/\ o a] O O O k 2'9 0 1 f INVE'IVTOR au/dfifit' Patented Mar.23, 1954 APPARATUS FOR CHE 1. i OF RAILWA Louis Abeylard Jean Bi Guy LonDupuich, Gar

CKIN G THE GAUGE Y TRACKS enfait, Eaubonne, and e de Serqueux, FranceApplication January 8, 1952, Serial No. 265,384

Claims priority, t Januar application France y 19, 1951 6 Claims. (Cl.33146) The present invention relates to apparatus for checking the gaugeof a railway, track continuously along saidtrack.

Its object is to provide an apparatus of this kind which is betteradapted to meet the requirements of practice than those as 'l'nay existat the present time.

It consists essentially in a frame movable along the track, for instanceby rolling thereon, and provided with means for" constantly indicatingboth the valuesof the distance between the inside edges of the railsmeasured respectively at two points along the track located at a fixedor substantially fixed distance from each other and the differencebetween the'two gauge values thus measured. A

other features of our invention will become apparent inthe course -ofthe following detailed description of some embodiments thereof withreference with the accompanying drawings, given 1.

merely by way of example, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a diagramm'aticplan view of an apparatu mad according toanembodiment of our invention;

Fig. 2 is a similar view corresponding to another embodiment of theinvention;

Fig. 3 is an elevational view of a detail of Fig.1; c v

Figs. 4 and 5 show, in plan view, additional features of an apparatusaccordin to our invention;

Fig. 6 shows a modification ofthe apparatus ofFig.1. a

It should first bereminded that the gauge of a railway track, Lethedistance between the inside edges of the rails thereof, must comply withtwo essential conditions, to wit: (a) this distance must remain withinlimits fixed by regulations; (b) its longitudinal variation (i. e. thedifierence between the values of said distance measured at two pointslocated at agiven distance from each other along the track) must alsoremain within given limits. y y

It is therefore necessary to measure, all along the track the values ofthis distance and its 1ongitudinal variation so that, if in some part ofthe track, they are beyond the limits above referred to, this track maybe adjusted to make the necessary corrections. Of course the adjustmentsmust be reducedto aminimum. l t y a The apparatus according teourinvention, as illustrated by Figs. 1 and '2,includes alight car or lorryl rolling on rails Z and 3 and guided along the inneredges of theserails by. means of rollers 4, 5, 6 vgaudy-l having flr e llf axessubstantially perpendicular to the axis of the track and slldable inslideways l0 and H carried by frame I and themselves perpendicular tosaid axis of the track. Springs I2 and I3 interposed between said rods 8cables I 4 and I6 passing through flexible sheaths l5 and I1respectively, each of these sheaths havmg both of its ends fixed toframe I so as to act each rod 8 or 9 are direct on) by the portions ofeach cable M or :2 adgacent to the corresponding spring Ida or Twopointers 24 and 25 pivoted at 26 to frame I are driven respectively bycables l4 and I 6. u are respectively fixed to said pointers at pointsthereof relatively and ear s l so pointers moving along two scaes Land2] re spectively. The track width or gauge at the level of rollers 46 isread on scale width at the level of rollers 5-1 is read on scale 2!. Asfor the difference between these values of the width, it is read on asystem or lines 22 each of which indicating a given value of thisdifference and being marked by the point of intersectiqnzepf pointers l8and 19-.

The operation of the apparatus is very simple; The car [is moved alongthe track, for instance in the direction of the arrows of Figs. 1;and2.,. 'Ih us theoperator immediately sees whet rt au e limits gthis gaugebeing constantly marked on scale .or2 o a, 4 n

. At hess m st e, t onsit a ia io is read on scale 22 or 28, to makesure that it remains within the given limits.

In therelatively rare case where the first cont n .ir l t nsutoth vv luf th gauge) is not complied with, the operator marks on the rails or thr ee er w he. se i s h r adjustments adiuet tntafia indicate b h po ofthe nter o e err s n ne ;s l V I .thesm ch mqreir g t caserwher e th irt. e n'di qn. c mp ie wi bu t the are to be rnade and the numericalvalues of these ee ii thenvmator ma k t e t n her diu tm nt inee fi rand he nu ric l values of these adjustments in accordance with the incei ns..z e 9n teele- 01 8.- 1.. l

1 1st ead we e e. value 92th? t sh gauge .0; 'W hic esmi h re d i nisuthet th fl e wdine H n should not exceed, in absolute value,

tudi al on V betweenlevels 5-1 and i-6,

scale ass 7 if V "is negative, cg-:V-i-t "'rb sd'm'jip, replacing vbit's developed "value "1. e. sp re-en, an adjustment "of the width 20and the remains within the desired a i s m i t' 1 e lrea "is adjusted sowhich corresponds to the value pf '01 is made of the track at level 5-1is necessary if the absolute value of c1-(ez-ei) is higher than t, andthis adjustment must be In order to avoid having to make calculations,it is advantageous to make use of a table such as shown by Fig. l, whichis preferably carried by'frarne l. In this table, the lines correspondto different values of ez-e1, to wit 3, -2, '1, 0, +1, +2, +3, and thecolumns correspond to different values of c1, to wit '-3, 2, '-l Opt-1,+2, +3. The value of adjustment be to be made at level 5-1 is given atthe intersection of the line corresponding to the value of e2-e1 read onscale 22 or 28, and of the column corresponding to the value Of theadjustment found necessary at level i -6. For this table, the value oft 1. Fig. 5 shows a device to be mounted on frame I, to give withoutcalculation the value of 02 as a function of 92-61 and 01; The apparatusincludes a plate 29, bearing graduations e'o'rre sponding to differentvalues of '01; A sliding plate 30 bears, opposite the'a'bo've'irientio'ned gradfl'atio'ns, other graduatiori's correspondingto different variations of 62-6'1. The values of "02 are read on a thirdline of 'gradu'ations "marked on plate 29 under plate 30, through anaperture 3| provided in said plate 3d. The known values of c; and e'zeiare placed opposite each other by sliding plate 30 and the correspondingvalue of 02 is read through aperture 3|. In the example shown by thedrawing, 't' is equal to '1.

Fig. 6 (which shows the same general arrangement as Fig. l) discloses adevice according to our invention for giving the value of cacorresponding to a point of the "track. This device is arrangedtqcooper'ate with the two pointers 24 and 25 pivoted on frame '1 asabove described with reference to Fig. 1. On the pivot 253 of thesepointers there is mountedafsector 32 bearing two scales or rows 'ofgradiiatibns C1 'and'Cz, the graduations C1 being provided along thecircular edge of the sector, which is adjacent to scale 21, abovedescribed. The other graduations C2 are marked along a circular arc', asshown at 33. Pointer 24 is provided with an aperture 31 through which'one graduation of 33 is visible. As above described, the angulardistance between the ends of pointers "2'4 and 25 is automaticallyproportional to eze1. "Therefore, everything takes place "as if the endof pointer 25 marked, on an imaginary scale rigid "with pointer 24 andhaving zero at "the "end sector at ofsaid pointer "24, the value "ofe'g-'-e1.

that the graduation of 's'c'ale'C1 to coincide with the end of pointer25. Consequently, the value read on scaleCz throughthe hole 3;! ofpointer 24 is the desired value of 02.

Of course, scale C2 in Figs. '5 and 6 -depends upon the va'lue of-t. Itwill be noted that whent is equal to 1, scale "C2; every "graduation-ofwhich isequfal (linearly or angularly) to every gradua-"t1on-ofscales'C1 and e2- -81, includesfinits-central part, threeg'r'adua'tions -marked zero (-i. "e. one central zero graduation and oneon-either sidelthereof). If '15 were equal 'to 2, scale'Czwould include,in its central 'pa'rt, five -graduations 'r'narked em-15s; onecensuses-graduation and *twdoneither's'ide thereof. Ift wereequal to fiall the number of zero graduations would be 7 (3+1+3) and so on.

When the apparatus is not used to measure adjustments 02 but merely toascertain whether such adjustments will be necessary, i. e. to knowwhether 62-81 is always within limits t and +t, sector 32 is notrequired and may be retracted or removed.

In a general manner, while we have, in the above description, disclosedwhat we deem tobe practical and efiicient embodiments of our invention,it should be well understood that we do not wish to be limited theretoas there might be changes made in the arrangement, disposition and form01 the parts without departing from the principle of the presentinvention as comprehended within the scope of the accompanying claims.

What we claim is:

1.. An apparatus for checking the gauge of a railway track whichcomprises, in combination, a

frame movable along said track, and means car- 2. An railway track whichcomprises, in combination,

displacements. 3. An apparatus for checking the gauge of a railway trackwhich comprises, in combination, a

of said movable rollers relatively to said frame, amplifying and thedifference and being mounted to run along the inner edges of the railsof the track respectively, one roller of each pair being movable towardand away respective displacements.

An apparatus for checking the gauge of a railway track which comprises,in combination, a frame rollers carried by having diflerent centers, twolevers for carrying said movable rollers pivoted to said frame aboutsaidcenters, two pointers rigid rollers relatively to said frame.

6. An apparatus according to claim 4 further including a sector movablecircular scale concentric with the first and.

adapted to cooperate with one said pointers. LOUIS ABEYLARD JEANBIENF'AIT. GUY LEON DUPUICH. References Cited in the file of this patentUNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,110,894 Cauthorn Sept. 15, 19142,042,614 Mauzln June 2, 1936 2,507,896 Frank May 16. 1950

